Kniphofia linearifolia Seeds - Indigenous Bulbs Seeds

Kniphofia linearifolia Seeds

This is an attractive plant, with showy greenish yellow to yellow flowers and long, narrow leaves. It is suited to temperate gardens where it forms a strong contrast to small- or round-leaved plants. 

The common marsh poker is a robust perennial which grows up to 1.5 m in height and is often found growing in groups. The leaves are soft and basal, yellow to dull green, and are strongly keeled with finely toothed or smooth margins. Poker-shaped flowerheads are borne on tall stalks from midsummer to autumn. Initially pinkish red to green flower buds appear, which are then followed by the greenish yellow to yellow flowers. They are neatly arranged in a dense inflorescence. From a distance the floral arrangement may be mistaken for that of a grassland aloe. Flowers are followed by greenish capsules, which contain green seeds that turn black as they mature.

This is a widespread species in southern Africa occurring in Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga and Zimbabwe, with an outlier recorded at Worcester in Western Cape. It occurs at higher altitudes, from about 300 m upwards. It is found naturally in marshy areas, streambanks and mountainous grassland.